Scott Johnson explains “Why I’m Here”

July 29, 2018

Why I’m Here

By Scott Johnson

Frank Parlato and I spoke again today and he asked me to write this article and said he would put it on his website for all to read. I’m here for several reasons, but first, here’s some background information:

I noticed how similar the story sounded compared with my Amway experience – not the cauterized scar, but the human manipulation. Then I searched the internet for the background of NXIVM’s founder, Keith Raniere. When I came across claims of him being in Amway before founding Consumers’ Buyline and NXIVM, it all made sense, because I saw so many similarities between what I experienced with Amway and the NXIVM story.

It didn’t take long to find Frank’s site, easily the most prolific and comprehensive source of all things NXIVM. Even Raniere, “the world’s smartest man” would not wake up one morning and suddenly decide to start an MLM, it simply isn’t reasonable. But he did learn MLM scam fundamentals while in Amway.

I’ve confirmed Raniere’s Amway involvement with three separate individuals who were around in the days during and shortly after Raniere left Amway, and all three said they were either in Amway with Raniere or they heard him refer to being in Amway. Even more similarities between Amway and NXIVM were apparent while reading some of Frank’s articles.

I called Frank back in the April time frame and related the above information. He stated NXIVM was pretty much over, as Raniere had been caught in Mexico and the remainder of the cards were likely to fall in place quickly, and he was looking for a new challenge. He said Amway could very well be next on his agenda.

Here are the major reasons I’m here, in no particular order:

1. To help people understand NXIVM better by providing insights regarding how NXIVM was able to manipulate people, because it’s similar to how Amway and other MLM scams manipulate people. Many people are confused by how NXIVM could do what they did, and I know how they did it, by both personal experience and extensive research on the topic;

2. To bring a questioning attitude and new facts and logic to Frank’s posts as well as people making comments, instead of simply “piling on” and joining the “popular” discussions;

3. To bring more attention to Amway and other MLM scams. While NXIVM may have a more dramatic story line, MLMs scam literally 10s of millions of new people around the world every single year. However, instead of focusing on the well-to-do with expensive “intensives,” MLMs are an “equal opportunity” type of scam, targeting the wealthy and poor alike. Unfortunately, it’s the poor who have less access to information available on the internet, and therefore are usually more successfully targeted, which means the financial damage is far greater.

The readers of FrankReport.com could have a major influence in shutting down these scams by spreading the truth about how they operate. Think of the positive change that could occur by not just lobbing random comments on Frank’s website, but carrying this message forward. You could be part of a team that would be very proud of working together and protecting others against MLM scams.

4. As the information has evolved, it is very likely likely NXIVM is just a part of a much larger child/human trafficking scheme, something many of us (would YOU?) would be willing to be cauterized like Sarah if we were able to expose it and get it shut down, or at least a large chunk of it. Think how rewarding that would be.

While on the phone today and after hanging up, I thought about some suggestions for Frank, such as:

1. Allowing me to help him take out stupid comments. Presently, we defined stupid as the “person” who is trying, very unsuccessfully, to impersonate me. There are many other comments that I personally consider non-productive, but I would leave it to Frank to make the decision on which ones stay and which ones are flushed. After all, it is his website. We are both firm believers in free speech, but pornography on his site goes beyond reasonable. Hopefully, the person is some 13 year old with too much time on their hands, as an adult should have better things to do. I value free speech in part because it exposes those whose ideas represent inferior thinking. For now, Frank is handling the impersonator and he did not even bring up the topic of banning me, but did ask to tone it down a bit. I will, but it takes 2 to tango, folks….

2. I also recommended people use the same name when they post. Ideally, their real name, which would cut down on all of the flame-throwing significantly. If you don’t feel responsible enough to do that, at least a consistent name that ties back to an anonymous social media account or has a gravatar that identifies you as an individual, but is still anonymous. Otherwise, it’s hard to get a feel for who the comment comes from, their pattern of ideas, etc.

3. Related to #1, answer reasonable questions. Otherwise, the comments are an almost complete waste of time and effort. Actual discussions that result in more facts and logic being introduced lead to making real progress while discussing an issue. Not answering at all, or answering in a non-responsive/off-topic manner, is quite useless.

4. Trying to intimidate someone by putting their personal information in the comments, such as address, relatives not involved in the discussion, etc., is simply juvenile and not productive. It says a lot more about who you are than the person’s personal information, and it ain’t good. Those who don’t push back on violators are just as responsible, if not more responsible, as we already know the person posting the information is acting like a child. Knock it off.

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49 Comments

“Allowing me to help him take out stupid comments.” Not a good idea–it’s up to Frank and Frank alone to police comments. We would only have Scott Johnson’s word that he was taking out the fake Scott’s comments. That is too much power to put in the hands of someone with this much of an ego.

Frank, please don’t give Scott the power to delete comments–it is a slippery slope for someone not known for their ability to control themselves. Next thing you know, they’ll be a hierarchy of posters with the motto: “We’re all equal but some of us are more equal then others.”

Scott you have not been in the cross hairs of NXIVM. That is why some many of us will not “come out” on the blog. It’s too dangerous for us to do that. Even with the current arrest, they are still a dangerous criminal enterprise. Clare has too much money that she could still do harm to NXIVM defectors. Give it a rest about people being public. There would be way less posting on this blog if that was a requirement. You have not had to deal with the same danger as some of us have after leaving NXIVM.

Scott has way to much free time on his hands. He post so often on this blog about everything that most who come here don’t care about or already know.

He’s like the Gary Busey of the Frank Report. Scott you go on and on about nothing that most readers have said, “we don’t care about what you have to say”.

Scott, honey, most of us know how hard it can be to get ripped of and be angry about it. Those of us who left NXIVM don’t need your advice about MLM and Amway. Your constant posting about every little thing is not helpful and makes you look like an uncaring idiot, which I’m sure your not.

Maybe it’s time you get yourself some therapy and deal with your anger and need to be heard (all the time) from a professional that can help you work through what’s happened to you. You could even become a productive member to your family and other who want to hear what you have to say. It’s not happen here on the Frank Report, just take in the comments.

If you really want to educate people who are “unknowing” about MLM scams, this is not the platform.

Your have turned people off from reading your post even when you might have a good point. It’s like the boy who called wolf too many times, people stopped believing him. People just past your comments by.

Do you really have a need to piss people off by being what most seem to consider disrespectful, obnoxious and excesent with your constant postings?

People have stopped wanting to come to the Frank Report as much because they don’t want to keep seeing your post. If someone is new to this blog, maybe someone who has just left NXIVM, buddy you’re just too much over the top with your incentent need to post here.

Isn’t there a blog for disgruntled ex-Amwayers / MLM’ers that your feedback and knowledge would be put to better use? You’ve scorched your earth here, burned your bridge and If this was a group of friends, we’d stop asking you to hang out with us.

Maybe that has happened to you in the past. People stopped wanting to be social with you and your angry about that. You come here and Frank is the only one who can ask you to leave or only come once a month for Sunday dinner. (which he has asked you to tone it down and you totally have disrespected his request.

I think of myself as a pretty tolerant person and try to give people the benefit of doubt. I can no longer ignore or tolerate your behavior.

You believe you’re helping but refuse to see what harm you are doing to other visitors on this blog. I find it very sad when one doesn’t take in information on how their behavior affects others. If you stepped back for a day or two and read the comments and let them sink in, you could stop what you are doing that is making other angry and or uncomfortable to the point they write nasty thing about you, skip over what you have to say or have limited their time on the FR.

5. Maybe it’s time you start caring about people being ripped off. Get some therapy and have the therapist focus on caring about others and taking action, rather than lecturing others.

6. You take care of your family, I’ll take care of mine. My family is none of your business.

7. Frank is in charge of this platform, not you.

8. The goal is to get people to take action, but most of them, like you, just want to talk. That’s your problem, not mine.

9. If people get mad at my comments, it’s their problem. Not mine.

10. If people overreact and stop coming to the Frank Report because of my comments, which they can easily skip over, BECAUSE I USE MY NAME, that’s their problem. Not mine.

11. It’s a waste of time talking to people who already know about Amway and other MLM scams. The idea is to educate other people who don’t know.

12. I’m only angry about Amway and other MLM scams ripping off people. This isn’t a social visit, it’s a call to action. Sit back and watch the grownups take action if you want.

13. I think of myself as a pretty tolerant person and try to give people the benefit of doubt. I can no longer ignore or tolerate your behavior. You simply don’t care about others. That’s your problem. Not mine.

14. You believe you’re helping but refuse to see what harm you are doing to other visitors on this blog who need to know about Amway and other MLM scams. I find it very sad when one doesn’t take in information on how their behavior affects others. If you stepped back for a day or two and read the comments and let them sink in, you could stop what you are doing that is making yourself angry and/or uncomfortable to the point they read true things about you, skip over what you have to say or have limited their time on the FR and don’t learn about MLM scams.

15. Just some food for thought, “I’ve reached the end of my tolerance with Scott Johnson.” LOL

We’re giving this guy way too much ink. Seriously – I have more Twitter followers than him and I tweet less than once a month. The radio show, the Reddits, the conspiracy theories, the lies – no one is listening. He might have a legit point about Amway but his approach kills the message and loses the audience before the second sentence.

Scott – Frank brought NXIVM down because he shined a light on the hypocrisy that is Keith but he has always been kind, fair and careful about how he uses this platform to not hurt others. If you intend to do the same about Amway – I suggest you follow his lead, stop being so easily baited and build your case on your own platform. If you are serious about Amway being as nefarious as you say it is then show me the Scott Report and I’ll root for you too.

I realize you aren’t asking for my opinion, but if you want to be a legitimate source than act like one. If I had all the inside dirt on Amway and wanted to be a whistleblower – based on your reach, your nastiness and the ease at which you react in hostility online…. you are not a safe bet.

I am not anti Scott, as I mentioned before you bring up great points every now and again. However, you have a seriously shitty approach.

3. Lots of people listen to the radio show, I’ve been “banned” from Reddit, and which conspiracy theories and lies are you talking about?

4. You assume that you are my audience. You are wrong.

5. Frank didn’t bring down NXIVM by himself. Sarah Edmondson had a much larger impact when she had her scar photographed for the NYT. Unfortunately, it’s all about celebrities and not people who make real contributions like Frank.

6. Frank has been nasty against NXIVM people.

7. I’m not baited, others are. I already have my own platforms. Click on my name to them. I don’t need a cheerleader to root for me, what is needed is people who are willing to take action, not merely talk.

Frank: I have a suggestion for you; look at the comments here. Does ANYBODY like Scott Johnson? NO. You could claim that “some” of us are wrong about him, but there’s no way ALL of us are wrong about him. The guy just causes problems, and brings nothing worthwhile to the site. I DO NOT CARE ABOUT MLM’S. I do not care about Amway. I don’t care about “NXIVM, from an MLM perspective”. Translation: Scott Johnson has NOTHING WORTHWHILE to say, that I need to read. I really wish you’d lose this divisive idiot already.

GET THE FUCK OFF THIS SITE! You are a piece of shit. You are absolutely clueless about NXIVM – other that what you’ve read here over the last several months. Yet you degrade, intimidate, and say ridiculous things (like let’s all use our real name when posting). The result is you scare the real people (with things to bring to the table) away from posting and turn the comment section into a joke. Of course, everyone now just skips over your posts. But the problem is, WE NO LONGER POST. The comment section has always been informative and important. Now it is ignored, avoided, and gets more eye rolls than eyes. Just get the fuck out of here and let this comment section once again be a place to help end this whole NXIVM nightmare.

I’m going to continue ignoring both Scott Johnsons. Especially this one who thinks to appoint himself as a mod on Frank’s site when he is the one who has been doing most all of the trolling and flaming of long time commenters.

I no longer bother reading any comment from Scott Johnson – real or impersonator. The impersonators post garbage, and Scott himself frequently snipes at any comment that doesn’t meet his subjective standard of what should be posted. If he becomes involved in moderating comments, I won’t bother reading the comments at all. I don’t need or want Scott Johnson’s version of “the Knife” deployed on Frank Report.

Frank, I appreciate the work you do here and will continue to read most of your articles, but I’m done with wasting my time weeding through Scott Johnson’s verbal BS to glean the occasionally useful comment.

Thank you Scott. Clearly there has been an overabundance of obnoxious comments posted in your name that have been bothering people like crazy.
I, for one, have no idea which comments are from the “real” you vs. your impersonator(s). People have been demanding that “Scott Johnson” be banned- but clearly there are multiple people posting in that name. Ostensibly it’s the impersonators who write the most egregious of the Scott Johnson comments.

I take it that (and hope that) the ones that just hurl insults like “Libtards” and say ridiculous things like “listen to my radio show where I talk about alien vaginas this week”, etc. are not from the real you?

Maybe a suggestion to Frank is that- only ONE email address can post per given “Name.” So once an email address has been correlated to “Scott Johnson” or whatever other name, no one else can post with that name? I don’t know if that’s a possible thing- but just an idea. Otherwise people are just obnoxiously impersonating each other.

A therapist, congratulations for being the first to post something related to my post. It’s quite easy to tell the difference between me and an imposter, my name is in red and links to my twitter account. Nobody else can do that. It’s one reason why I recommended to Frank to require people to link to a social media account – preferably your real name, but a fake name is better than nothing.

Well the good thing is, the more Frank publishes crazy conspiracy theories, feeds the trolls, and spams his own blog, the better for any of the former NXIVM members that find themselves the subject of Frank’s regurgitated hit pieces. This blog now looks just like any number of sites littering the internet where nutjobs with no life hang out, and anyone in the future will dismiss its contents.

Hermit crab is an omnivorous crustacean, often scavengers because it generally feeds on decaying material or dead animals. It has a soft abdomen without shell. To protect it, it must hide it in a shell. The problem is, he can’t do them. The solution, he takes those who hang around!

Give me a mother-effing break. Scott Johnson is one of the biggest imbeciles I’ve seen online in a long time. The fact that Frank Parlato even gives this clown a platform speaks volumes about HIS credibility:

“Amway is an MLM…NXIVM was an MLM. Scott Johnson is an “authority” on Amway. Therefore, Scott Johnson is an authority on NXIVM”.

^^^ Frank, using 3rd-grader logic as justification for allowing the comments section of this site to be continually clusterfucked with the ramblings of Scott Johnson, who is a major part of the problem, not part of the solution.

I love Scott’s #1 suggestion: “Let me help remove comments”…like Scott doesn’t have any axe to grind with just about everyone on here.

I for one am tired of the drama going on around you. Wish it would stop. It’s like you post and suddenly all these anti Scott posts shows up. I always knew you had something to add and saw that when treated with respect you are respectful. Why do all these people hate you?
The reason I asked all those questions about Amway was because I do feel it is relevant. I admit I went overboard. Though I see that there are some unhealthy exchanges that I would like to see end. You have not caused the rift. The only thing you have done is used language or sarcasm that doesn’t translate well in written form. And some people get hurt by that. So I momentarily tried to think that maybe there is something. But overall I don’t know. You are blunt and have said some things in the past. But guess what we all have and none of us are perfect.
All I want is that we all get along. And we stop attacking each other. I am tempted to call you but haven’t yet picked up the phone. I may not agree with some of your output but only once did I doubt you and that was brief.
We may not see eye to eye on many issues but you do add to the conversation.
Only for a moment I did doubt my support of you and voiced it and took it back.
You and my son have the same personality and that’s why I have a soft spot for you. We had a long exchange that got on everyone’s nerve.

woukd like to add I do not like when you insult people and I believe that you have cleaned up your act. But let them slip. But here’s the thing. This is Franks blog and that means frank makes the call. Who am I to judge.
I do agree with some that you need to leave some aspects of your personality off the page. I suspect you are alt right. And I voted for Hilary. And normally we wouldn’t mix well. In fact I neither like nor hate you. Just accept you are here. The big problem I have is the drama you attract. And I also think there are some cases where you did start some negitve things too. But again because I have someone in my life who shares your personality I am able to overlook things. Again I have a soft spot. But you are not innocent either. If frank wants you here then I do.
Though I think that if you were to stop contributing or contribute much much less maybe the anti Scott’s won’t show up as much.

All the posters are bringing up excellent points that answers my question about where the hate comes from. That makes sense. That’s why there is all that hate. I get it.
Mr Johnson seems to have cleaned up his tone and act. But the history is still there.
And it’s hard for people to forgive. Even if they forgive they won’t forget.
If mr Johnson ever attacked or used socially and politically unacceptable language we would not be having this conversation.

Still frank wants him and if frank wants him and believes he is valuable I will make the best of it.

Sen , hermet, flowers and jumbo and all.
You are all right I was too forgiving. We all have been triggered. I will not make any more excuses for him. Just wishful thinking. Like I said don’t like the drama and I need to stop sugar coating it.
Sill this is Franks blog. And frank sees value in Scott’s contribution. I was trying to justify it. My bad.
I neither like nor hate Scott. Just try to make the best of it. That’s all.

I agree. I suspect that Scott Johnson’s political views are somewhat aligned with Frank’s and that is possibly why he allows his posts. I’m sick of the Democrats conspiracy theories, pizzagate, The Clinton connections etc.

The bullshit Ben Szemkus tale was posted here because the supposed link to the Democrats. The defence of John Tighe without any facts at all to support his innocence.

Here, here! So nice to have someone finally point this out! I’m also tired of the loony alt-right bent. I’m interested in the story and and want to see how it develops – regardless of whomever is eventually proven to be involved – but all the overt dem-bashing weirdness makes it difficult to come here. I read the blog because Frank does such a great job of keeping ahead of the story. But the fringey alt-right conspiracy stuff and the “libtard” “snowflake” “everyone’s an idiot except me” stuff that Scott directs at many makes it difficult to come here.

My assumption is that most of us reading/commenting on this blog are adults, likely with spouses, kids, and professional lives, with whom and wherein we would never speak as we do to each other behind an anonymous online profile (or in Scott’s case, proudly posting his comments under his real name). But it never ceases to amaze me how we, as adults, can so easily devolve, can so easily be pulled into such juvenile exchanges, the likes of which would make us the envy of every 13-year-old playground bully.

There are a lot of very smart, articulate people (including Scott) (on both sides of the political aisle) who read and comment on this blog. Would that we could also be civil and rational, like the adults I hope we are in our personal lives.

not my real name. I do wonder how many people who got caught up in the clap trap who normally don’t get into this type of commentary normally. How many people were out of their typical behavior and MO?
I am sure that some here who have a conscious may feel sick for taking part.

This is my first comment, though I’ve been closely following the Frank Report since I found it in March.

I absolutely fail to understand what value Mr. Johnson brings. I understand that he has some background through his own experience that could conceivably add to the discourse, however, the way he has chosen to participate has so poisoned the water that it is difficult for me to see how that can happen.

I hope that his actions and divisiveness have not managed to elevate him beyond other, more even-keeled commenters.

Exactly.
It’s HILARIOUS that Scott believes he is the judge and jury of which comments are ‘stupid’ or ‘worthy”. He is not.
Frank would be a fool to allow an abusive, misogynistic racist who lacks all empathy to have any control at all of this comment section.

Are you a fool, Frank? Because you certainly don’t appear to be one.

You know how many are reading these comments, and most will be thinking similar thoughts as I am —why is Frank allowing a person of Scotts character, a man who supports fake conspiracy theories and associates with people such as The Tanster, and who is a total hypocrite to boot, to have any control here?